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Rate and Review: "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart" (PABF09)

March 4, 2012: Bart plasters graffiti images of Homer all over Springfield and becomes a street art sensation. Meanwhile Apu's Kwik-E-Mart is in danger of going out of business when a new supermarket opens. Discuss!

Much more enjoyable episode than I was expecting. I liked that it had at least a couple imo subtle nods to the hardcore fan. Two that come to mind were the "jerkass" Homer picture and Manjula's reference to "Blame It On Lisa." Apu's story was weaker but I really liked his conversation with Snake and Wiggum making Snake do Ralph's book reports. The main plot was good enough I guess I really liked Homer and Bart throughout. Homer talking to his brain was good and I laughed at his brain telling him to drive a car. The guest stars felt unnecessary but at least they weren't in it for too long. Enjoyed Bart's escape from the rabbit cage closer. I'll give it a generous 4/5 on first viewing, enjoyable enough.

PS: According to this episode Marge's birthday is March 19th. Does this contradict any previous episode?

PPS: Also appreciated a couple of background shots of Ned and Edna together.

ACT TWO:
Homer tests the cedar chips and falls asleep.
Drederick Tatum putting down Kindles for his pigeons due to the lack of newspapers.
(EDIT: Notice he yells at Bart and Milhouse, THEN worries about THEM waking the pigeons? Huh?)
Kent Brockman is reporting on this, and interviewing Chief Wiggum... yet nobody recognizes Homer's image?
Moe's turn from anger to amazement in the store was funny.
(At this point... I really have no interest in Bart's story.)

ACT THREE:
Guess I'm not hip enough to know who these people are. (Wait... I just don't care. That's it.) I do know Shepard Fairey, but c'mon... who doesn't?
Apu: "Do not give me false hope like the time they said it was only sextuplets." Uh... like never?
So... Bart's gonna have a show, eh? Meh.
Homer's interactions with his brain usually always manage to make me laugh. No exception here.

ACT FOUR:
So "El Barto" is plastered all over his art exhibit? Well, there goes a running gag that lasted for years. Thanks, season 23.
Where's the Euro-trash? Just generic "art scene" people? Meh.
Another version of the vocal theme, and it's over.

So, too much Bart story... and not enough Apu story. This one's hard for me to rate. First act was funny, but the next three just let all the air out of the tires. By the end of act four, this episode was running on all flats despite the funny bits in the new store. I think the writers have forgotten that Bart is ten. It's kind of hard for me to get involved in a story that heavily involves Bart when Bart doesn't act like Bart. I really don't know how to say that clearer. (It makes perfect sense to me.) Hmmm... the whole idea of Bart choosing a hip, underground, artsy way of sticking it to Homer just didn't click with me. The story line really felt labored and tedious. And in the end Bart just gets away with it... plus the entire running gag of who El Barto really is... just gone? (Granted, it hasn't been eluded to for quite some time now.)
I'll say it again: Thanks, Season 23.

Again, *insert my season 23 mantra here*. 2.5 / 5, but for the poll... 2 / 5. Yup, I'm rounding down because of the three boring acts I really didn't enjoy. /

Here are a few bonus images:

Last edited by Tubbb!; 03-04-2012 at 10:02 PM.

Originally Posted by SpeedwaySquad

You liked this episode, I didn't. There's no need to get so worked up about it.

"In Rand McNally, they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people!"

Pretty good stuff, minus the Guest Artists voicing themselves. I wish they could've made up a bunch of conformist-rebellion street artists instead of using people who can't really voice act. The best part of the episode was when they realized the phone line was chewed through till the end of the audience's reaction of Marge not answering.

3.5/5 rounded up to 4. Third best of the seasons behind "Holidays" and "Book Job."

Well, ya'know if you stay positive and forget about trivial things like "proper characterization," "Satire," and "emotional depth" watching new Simpsons episodes can be a seemingly enjoyable lie.

Not really much to say about it; another middle of the road modern episode. The only thing I feel that's really worth noting is that I think the Apu storyline should've been the A-plot and given a bit more screen time.

Also, is it just me, or was the animation on Shepard Fairey's face really lazy? I swear, in his last scene it seemed like they were only animating his mouth while his eyes stared off coldly in the wrong direction...

It sounded like Tress... so I'm going to say no. Wiki also doesn't mention a female guest.
(I'm probably way off on that, but I'm very tired so... fuck it.)

Yeah, it was Tress.

BTW, here are some Did "You Notice"

"Puree Station 3" = Playstation 3 (duh). Should've had a joke about it costing $700.
"Puree Station 3" thing had the "Crush, Kill, Destroy" line from the robots in Last Exit to Springfield.
"Yoko Ono" was at Bart's art exhibit.

I really didn't like this episode. Homer was uncharacteristically cruel to Bart for sometthe hing he couldn't have foreseen. Also, the whole Apu subplot was rushed and unnessesary. It was also done better in "Husbands and Knives". About the only thing I liked in this episode was the return of the "I am a wiener" graffiti. I thought taht was a nice shout-out to Bart The Genius, and a reminder that he's been doing this a long time.

This episode look like hackwork. We have a first act that wanders off and Homer blaming Bart because of the rabbit. Bart getting revenge against Homer is too dull. I thought Milhouse involved was unnecessary as was the subplot involving Apu and the Kwik-E-Mart. (This episode may be the first episode where the title only describes the sub-plot). The only saving graces here is the plot twist at the art museum, the "swordfight" between Homer and Apu, and the answering machine gag.

After the 500th episode got a B- for me, I thought for a nanosecond that Al Jean may be capable of 2 back to back Simpsons episodes that were at the very worst average, then I came to my senses and MAN what I proved right.

The opening was slick but very boring. After the first scene I knew it would be bad because that scene between Homer and Lisa was CRINGEWORTHY...even for Season 23 standards. Next we saw a very boring and unfunny "fight scene" between Homer and Apu - Thanks for Zombie Nahasapeemapetilon Al; "convenience forever, freshness never", really Al? Another cringeworthy scene betwee Homer and 'The Box Lady' to end an awful act.

The whole phonecall thing was very lame and pointless. When Homer struggled to get Bart out of a rabbit cage, that Bart wanted to now live in..., I knew this episode could rival 'The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed' in the abomination category.

Then it was Bart becoming a graffiti artist. Then Milhouse joined him. Then a stupid scene between Apu and Snake which atleast led to the first of two moments when I actually smiled: The Moe "potato chip?!? toilet paper?!!" rant but alas no laughter from this cynic.

I never thought the final 8 minutes could be less inspired than the first 13 but it happened. Except for only the second time in the entire episode that I smiled: Homer's drunk brain telling him to drive etc, the plot died. Bart meets fellow graffiti artists. Apu finds out the store that's putting him out of business is closing of of a sudden, end of yet another lame B-story. Bart's graffiti is put on display at sophisticated art showing. Homer finds out Bart humiliated him. Homer strangles Bart. Homer stops strangling Bart. Homer accepts Bart's apology. It ends with Bart finding out he was tricked and it was set up, the graffiti artists were undercover cops for some reason and as Bart is about to face criminal charges, Marge saves the day because he's only 10 officer! Final scene includes Bart signing autographs from a cage, it being applied he's actually having a shit/piss in the cage, he impossibly escapes from the cage and then a half hearted jibe at Chief Wiggum.